David Gregory had a high-capacity ammunition magazine
He held it and twirled it 'round his diamond ring finger
At a "Meet the Press" studio society gath’rin’
And the cops weren't called in but the bloggers demanded
That David Gregory should be booked for possession
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain’t the time for your tears....

This isn't parody — this is straight from the original "Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll":

In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel
To show that all’s equal and that the courts are on the level
And that the strings in the books ain’t pulled and persuaded
And that even the nobles get properly handled
Once that the cops have chased after and caught ’em
And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom

In David Gregory's case, the cops never even considered chasing him. There will be no judge pounding the gavel, because there will be no prosecution. Bob Dylan was outraged that Zantzinger — Zanzinger, to spell it the Dylan way — got a light sentence. At least he went to trial. And he was convicted.

Here, the "noble" David Gregory got special handling, the strings in the books were pulled and persuaded, and the ladder of law obviously has a top.

I'm not saying I want Gregory prosecuted. I only want people to see how unfair it is to have a law that seems ridiculous to enforce against him, when that law is used against others. And Gregory richly deserves to be slapped around on the blogs, because he's making the argument — that's why he was waving that thing around — that there ought to be more invasive gun laws. He wants the government to reach more deeply into the ordinary lives of private citizens, and he's entirely reckless about what these laws would really mean to ordinary people, and it's a recklessness that thrives in the mind of someone who easily and instinctively believed — correctly! — that the law did not apply to him.

77 comments:

There is nothing more than selective prosecution that invites disrespect for the law. Either repeal the law or nail Gregory to the cross as an example to others, especially since he broke it with full knowledge that he was violating it.

If the Gregory situation doesn't wake up the proles, nothing will. To me, this is more egregious than anything the Wannabe Tyrant has done to date. Selective prosecution in living color, coast-to-coast.

Gregory's spouse looked real happy to have her arm the DC Attorney General at a charity fund fundraiser.

Now a nation of men and women and who you know and what you can give them.

Know the president or his Jackal Jarret? Here's some taxpayer money to lavishly fund your company.

President doesn't like who you are? His Toddie Holder will sink his teeth into you.

Wanna get that exclusive and be sure to be included in the next White House BBQ? Pitch a softball and watch the Jackass Biden murder it.

...they were all toadies and humbugs, but that each of them pretended not to know that the others were toadies and humbugs: because the admission that he or she did know it, would have made him or her out to be a toady and humbug.

And of our illustrious Mr. President Barack H. Obama.

He had a certain air of being a handsome man--which he was not; and a certain air of being a well-bred man--which he was not. It was mere swagger and challenge; but in this particular, as in many others, blustering assertion goes for proof, half over the world.

Is there not one single person on the DC City Council who will introduce a bill making high capacity magazines legal? Not one single person who understands how gregorization has made a mockery of the current law? And of them? Not one?

Well, the chief law enforcer of the country rewarded that scumbag with an interview the week after this issue arose. The guy has friends in high places. He should have been hauled to the court for an appearance and fined or something at least.

One major reason this sort of thing can flourish unchecked is that the Dems never get the "services" of an adversarial press. And when the press does something like this, their friends in law and politics are right there to keep the proles moving. Wanna bet we'll see any hard-hitting investigations of DC corruption by Gregory? LOL!

What the decision to not prosecute Gregory while simultaneously insisting that the magazine ban law that he violated is important means is that there is absolutely no moral component to our legal system.

The only reason to not violate the law is from a reasonable fear of getting caught if you don't have enough juice to get out of it. This also has interesting implications for the jury system.

Let's see how well this new way of organizing society works out. If I hadn't already given up on America after November 6, I would be upset about this entirely predictable consequence of what this country has become.

Gregory richly deserves to be slapped around on the blogs, because he's making the argument — that's why he was waving that thing around — that there ought to be more invasive gun laws. He wants the government to reach more deeply into the ordinary lives of private citizens, and he's entirely reckless about what these laws would really mean to ordinary people, and its a recklessness that thrives in the mind of someone who easily and instinctively believed — correctly! — that the law did not apply to him.

@Jake, may I assume that you agree with the notion that wealthy criminals with good connections into the Democrat party should escape prosecution? Not just Gregory, but a person like Jon Corzine who made Bernie Madoff look like a petty pickpocket?

And can I also then assume that you believe that because you also have good connections into the Democrat party?

And do you realize that your stance puts you into a very small minority, not merely among the commentators on the Althouse blog but among most Americans?

Doesn't Congress have oversight of DC? If so, wouldn't some hearing be nice? On TV, on a Teusday, maybe, instead of Friday evening? And then we could all hear the nice DA expand on his logic and demonstrated legal acumen?

I think Karl Rove's favorite dance partner should have been prosecuted. But every single person here knows had this been Glenn Reynolds instead of David Gregory it would be a completely different set of circumstances.

I stand with several other commenters here. After four years of Obama and his reelection, we are no longer a nation that is, or even aspires to, "equal justice under the law."

Instead, the US legal system has become what crit-legal academics have always said it was: the law is what the powerful say it is, and what they say it is, is the interests and politics they favor. These days that means Democrats and their web of special interest groups.

Hmmm? Has it occured to you why the political and blue state elite and their court jester media favor gun confiscation? Might it be they consider themselves the "American nobility" and remember the French Revolution?

Let's remember, DC is another Chocolate City. The rules are different.

PS I'm betting more people follow Insta than Diamond.

Chocolate City? Looks more like a plantation. Massa does the whipping. Massa doesn't get whipped.

A good many slave traders and some of the biggest slave owners weren't white.

So it still fits.

Beg to differ. A field slave is a field slave no matter the color. And Massa is still massa no matter the color. No matter the nominal color one is when one reachs a certain level of money and juice those people all are White. DC is a plantation.

I was really looking forward to having a president who disappeared into his work not to be heard of again for another four years, but alas, it'll be another four of petty instigations persistent antagonisms, prodding, edging, nudging.

Our community activist president granted an interview to David Gregory following the brouhaha the activist/journalist bandwagonist caused himself, he interjected Himself from on high thus interfering further with the prosecutor's natural decision process that was already jacked by Gregory being celebrity and Gregory being family associate.

They will lose the national discussion they foisted. They already lost. They'll get nothing but steadfastly claim moral victory.

Where 'they' are the present administration and media generally and journalists generally, they are observed creating separation again where it isn't necessary. They are dividers and not unifiers. Not ever. They are observed to splice and dice, to divide and and attempt to conquer and gain fractured successes. They created chaos and confusion, clouded discussion with emotional appeals, calls for immediate legislation, and abandonment of reason and curbing of liberties. The only thing they're observed to do is fuel dissatisfaction.

They failed again learned nothing and will try again.

As much as I recoil! from guns as much as political parties I'm tempted to buy one, a gun not a party, a good one too, and join the NRA. If only to make a point. Vote another way.

I just watched a thing on Smith-Wesson in Pennsylvania and the whole thing is AWESOME.

I think Karl Rove's favorite dance partner should have been prosecuted. But every single person here knows had this been Glenn Reynolds instead of David Gregory it would be a completely different set of circumstances.

1/12/13 9:44 AM

Garage is right. There is no reason to believe that Reynolds would have treated like Gregory.

garage mahal said...We aspire toward a love of principals, not parties - and let the chips fall where they may

You are honestly claiming that if Glenn Reynolds had been in David Gregory's shoes righties would be demanding a prosecution?"

First, he would not have done what Gregory did because he has respect for the law. Second, I think a lot of "righties" would have been very critical on the lines of, "How can we criticize the failure to write intelligent law if we violate it ?"

One of South Carolina's largest slave traders was a black who owned plantations in both South Carolina and east Africa. In 1860, there were over 200 black slave owners in South Carolina. There are still slaves in Mauritania, Sudan, and other parts of Africa. Slavery is one of the few African customs ever adopted by the outside world. It had been abolished in Europe but reintroduced by contact with Africa and the Arab world.

"You are honestly claiming that if Glenn Reynolds had been in David Gregory's shoes righties would be demanding a prosecution?"

Reynold's doesn't advocate for unjust gun laws, Matthews does. If you're going to be an advocate for unjust gun possession laws for everyone else (that apply regardless of criminal intent), then you d*mn sure ought to be subject to them.

Not only did Gregory's wife take part in a moot court charity event with the DC Attny Gen in 2011, but she was also once the Chief Legal Counsel for Fannie Mae...thus knows where MANY Donkey bodies are buried..

Isn't the Internet great? See how quickly the reasons for Gregory's free pass come to light - including that picture of his wife with the DC AG, and, apparently that she was tied closely enough to the Dem power structure to get the Fanny Mae sinecure.

It must be terribly painful and sad for the wingnut and lunatics that David Gregory won't be prosecuted, and that his life won't be ruined to the maximum extent possible. (Let's be honest; that's what conservatives crave, in Gregory's case and so many others: the suffering of their enemies.)

It has not gone unnoticed that wingnuts want no gun laws at all except as they can be applied to people wingnuts hate. If anyone else is prosecuted for having a 30 round mag, it's all "TYRANNY!!! Time to water the tree of liberty with the blood of David Gregory and everyone else who disagrees with us!!!"

Jack, I for one don't want Gregory's life ruined. I do, however, agree with our host that if you shouldn't prosecute Gregory just for having an empty 30-round mag, because he clearly never was going to harm anyone, you shouldn't prosecute people we've never heard of for mere possession of a 30-round mag.

And I do find it jarring when people call for harsh penalties for actions that are in themselves harmless, while at the same time violating those laws that are on the books.

Jack - P.S.: I find that whole "tree of liberty" quote creepy as hell, always did, even before learning that McVeigh was a big fan.

Then again, I have mixed emotions about Jefferson. Lofty sentiments about liberty that he roundly violated in his personal dealings, and he became more bitter and nasty in defending his hypocrisy as he aged.

Gregory was specifically advocating for more laws banning these magazines. On TV no less.

If you weren't here advocating for the DC attorney general to lay off of wounded warrior Lt. Augustine Kim, or Adam Meckler, or James Brinkley, kindly fuck off.

Each of these men were military veterans (Kim had just been discharged by Walter Reed for having reconstructive surgery done to his face which got fucked up by a Taliban IED and was driving his gun collection back home to South Carolina from his parents' house in New Jersey and wanted to stop in and see his buddies still recovering at Walter Reed.

The same DA did his level best to destroy the lives of each of these men. He sought to end Kim's career, specifically, because a conviction would have cost him his secret clearance.

He nearly ended Meckler's career before it began. He got his pathetic ass handed to him in court in the Brinkley case, but he still won't admit being wrong.

These are ordinary citizens who don't send their kids to Sidwell Friends with the President's kids. Their wives aren't hobnobbing with the DA at fundraisers which are more about being seen than raising money.

The DA came after them with the full force of the law.

The DA came after them determined to fuck them up, and you didn't have a thing to say in their defense. No, it is you and your people who went out of your way - and spent precious taxpayer resources - to destroy the lives of these good men.

But what the DA fucked up more than anything else was the rule of law.

What the right is advocating is getting rid of stupid gun laws. If Glen Reynolds had found himself in the situation he'd have done it to point out the stupidity of the law not advocate for more of them. This should be self evident.

Recently Miss Diana Ross went to La Scala in Beverly Hills without having a reservation. The policy of this joint is that no one is seated without a reservation until the entire party had arrived. Miss Ross wouldn't hear of it and marched over to a table and sat down to wait for her daughter.

Management went up to her to explain that she would not be serverd. The daughter then showed up and hilarity ensued.

They explained to Miss Ross that the rules apply to everyone and a rule is a rule. Or a law is a a law.

Miss Ross explained the "Don't You Know Who I Am" rule to them but they were not impressed.

It is too bad that the management of La Scala is not the District Attorney of the District of Columbia.

As a libertarian who opposes the law, I don't want to see anyone go to jail over it. What I would like is the following statement from Gregory:

"In the past, I have argued firmly for laws restricting firearms and anything associated with them. I have shaken my head at the likes of Wayne Lapierre who said they were overdone. It has now been brought home to me that some of these laws may not just threaten what gun nuts perceive as their Second Amendment rights but what I and NBC perceive as our First Amendment rights. I still disagree with people needing these magazines, but understand when gun rights advocates say that some gun laws may be overbroad, poorly drafted and a threat to our Constitutional rights."

had this been Glenn Reynolds instead of David Gregory it would be a completely different set of circumstances

Reynolds has the American appreciation for the right to keep and bear arms rather than Gregory's feudal Democrat desire to keep the peasants unarmed and helpless, so he wouldn't have an aggressively confrontational interview with the NRA. Reynolds also has an American respect for the law rather than Gregory's feudal Democrat sense of being above it, so he wouldn't break the law to try to score a cheap rhetorical point. Reynolds has the good sense to not break the law on a nationally broadcast television program. Reynolds also recognizes that arguing for the imposition of more laws to abridge a fundamental American right by violating one of those same laws is not just un-American and stupid, it's in bad taste.

And I have no doubt that if Glenn Reynolds had a national tv program on which he appeared to argue in favor of the protection of American rights while scrupulously obeying the law, lefties would still be howling for him to be locked up. So, yeah, completely different set of circumstances.

"But every single person here knows had this been Glenn Reynolds instead of David Gregory it would be a completely different set of circumstances."

it is quite possible that Prof Reynolds might have appeared on national TV from Washington DC with a 'high capacity clip' in his hand in order to cause his own arrest. It's a gesture previously popular as "civil disobedience".